1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates to wall furniture systems, and more specifically to extendable wall furniture systems for supporting a variety of electronic devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional wall furniture systems generally have piers or towers a fixed distance apart. This configuration permits a bridge of fixed dimension to engage the piers or towers at the top. Such systems may also include a lower unit between the piers or towers to support a television, video display, or other electronic device. If the user acquires a new television or video display having dimensions larger than the previous display, the television or other video display may not be accommodated by the wall furniture system.
Some conventional wall furniture systems have piers that may be adjusted to accommodate freestanding televisions between the piers. These devices have adjustable bridges, however the bridges provide little lateral strength to the entire furniture system.
What is needed is a wall furniture system having accommodation for a video display support unit that would permit the piers or towers to be separated by variable distances and provide an integrated appearance or custom built in effect while supporting video displays of varying dimensions and weight.
The present disclosure provides an adjustable wall furniture system for supporting video displays of varying dimensions and weight while presenting an integrated appearance or custom built in effect.
In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides an adjustable wall furniture system with a bridge unit, and an adjustable center support unit connecting two generally vertical piers. The bridge unit includes first and second end panels, which may slidably engage a pair of pier upper unit cavities to connect to the generally vertical piers.
The bridge unit further includes an adjustable curtain configured to be slidably engaged through a receiving slot of bridge unit. The curtain may be adjusted to fit the dimensions of the video display and rest on top of the video display thereby providing the adjustable wall furniture system with a custom built in effect. The receiving slot may be integral to the bridge unit and connected therewith.
The bridge unit end panels connect to the generally vertical piers at respective upper pier interfaces. When the first and second piers have maximum separation, the end panels are adjacent to the generally vertical piers at respective pier interfaces. The pair of upper support unit cavities may slidably receive the pair of respective end panels of the bridge unit when the wall furniture system is adjusted to a minimum width. Expansion of the width of the wall furniture system exposes at least a portion of the end panels from each of the upper support unit cavities.
The center support unit includes first and second ends, wherein the ends may slidably engage a pair of pier lower support unit cavities when adjusting the center support unit in combination with the bridge unit to a desired width. The pier lower support unit cavities may slidably receive the respective ends of the center support unit when the wall furniture system is adjusted to a minimum width. When the generally vertically piers have minimum separation, the center support unit is adjacent to each generally vertical pier along respective pier interfaces. Expansion of the width of the wall furniture system exposes at least a portion of the ends from each respective lower support unit cavity.
The bridge unit may be adjusted in combination with the center support unit to effect either an asymmetrical or symmetrical expansion of the wall furniture system according to the present disclosure.
A vertical slotted track strip is mounted on at least a section of an inner pier surface of the generally vertical piers. The sliding curtain engages the vertical slotted track strip for adjusting the curtain to fit the dimensions of the video display. The sliding curtain is generally vertically adjustable and may be connected to the rear surface of the bridge unit.
The generally vertical piers may include a rear wall to enclose and provide stability to the wall furniture system of the present disclosure. The wall furniture system may include lights mounted on the tops of the generally vertically piers with direct illumination therefrom. The generally vertical piers and the center support unit may further include a storage area for receiving entertainment media peripherals.
At least two drawer glides may be attached to at least one of the generally vertically piers in order to slidably engage at least one of the ends of the center support unit and provide lateral movement and support of at least one of the ends from a first position to a second position.
The generally vertical piers may include crown molding at a top front and side edge of each pier. The bridge unit may also include crown molding, which is integral with the crown molding on each of the piers. In particular, the bridge unit end panels may include crown molding on the top front edge thereof that is integral with the crown molding on each of the generally vertical piers and the bridge unit. The crown molding on the end panels may overlap gaps between the crown molding on each of the piers and the bridge unit. The generally vertical piers and the center support unit may further include trim molding along a bottom edge surface thereof.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, an adjustable wall furniture system includes a bridge unit, an adjustable curtain, and an adjustable center support unit connecting two generally vertical piers. The adjustable curtain is configured to be slidably engaged through a receiving slot that is adjacent to the bridge unit. The curtain may be adjusted to fit the dimensions of the video display and rest on top of the video display thereby providing the wall furniture system with a custom built in effect. The receiving slot for the adjustable curtain may be set behind and independent of the bridge unit.
In still another aspect of the present disclosure, an adjustable wall furniture system includes a bridge unit, and an adjustable center support unit connecting two generally vertical piers. A sliding curtain is positioned adjacent to a rear surface of the bridge unit. The curtain may be adjusted to fit the dimensions of the video display and rest on top of the video display thereby providing the wall furniture system with a custom built in effect. The sliding curtain may be connected to the rear surface of the bridge unit.
In a further aspect of the present disclosure, an adjustable wall furniture system includes an extendable bridge unit, an adjustable sliding curtain, and an adjustable center support unit connecting two generally vertical piers. The extendable bridge unit includes extendable wings, which may slidably engage a pair of pier upper support unit cavities to connect to the generally vertical piers. The extendable wings also may slidably engage a center bridge element of the bridge unit. The extendable bridge unit further includes bearing slides to accommodate dimensional variation in wood while maintaining extensibility. The bearing slides are mounted on the bridge unit and provide lateral stability to the extendable wings and secure the connection to the generally vertical piers. The adjustable sliding curtain may be set behind the extendable bridge unit or connected thereto.
The extendable bridge unit further includes bridge and wing facia. The bridge facia shields at least one of the wing facia from view when at least one of the extendable wings is in a closed position. The wing facia are exposed to view when at least one of the extendable wings is in an open position.
In yet another aspect, the present disclosure provides an adjustable wall furniture system for supporting projection video displays of varying dimensions and weight. The adjustable wall furniture system includes a bridge unit and an adjustable curtain configured to be slidably engaged through a receiving slot of the bridge unit. The curtain may be adjusted to fit the dimensions of the projection video display and rest on top of the projection video display thereby providing the wall furniture system with a custom built in effect.
These and other features and advantages of this disclosure will become further apparent from the detailed description and accompanying figures that follow. In the figures and description, numerals indicate the various features of the disclosure, like numerals referring to like features throughout both the drawings and the description.
Referring now to
As shown in
In an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure,
It is contemplated by the present disclosure that when first extendable bridge wing 19 and second extendable bridge wing 21 are both in an open position 48, the pair of elongated bearing slides 50, mounted on the bridge unit 17, provide lateral stability to first extendable bridge wing 19 and second extendable bridge wing 21 and secure the connection to the first and second piers 12 and 14, respectively.
In the present embodiment according to the present disclosure shown in
In an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure shown in
In another alternative embodiment according to the present disclosure shown in
In yet another alternative embodiment (not shown), the adjustable sliding curtain 28 may be separate from the rear end 16R of the bridge unit 16 and positioned directly behind the bridge unit 16R. The tracking strip 52 may positioned in a similar manner as set forth above for the immediately preceding embodiment. In each of the aforementioned embodiments of
As shown in
Referring now to
As shown in
Referring now to
It is contemplated by the present disclosure that expansion of width 22′ may expose portions of first end 36F and or second end 36S from lower support unit cavity 38 and or lower support unit cavity 40, respectively. Similarly, expansion of width 22′ may expose portions of first end panel 18 and or second end panel 20 from upper support unit cavity 24 and or upper support unit cavity 26, respectively.
In
As shown in
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in
With further reference to the immediately preceding embodiment, when piers 12 and 14 are shipped to the retail customer, each pier includes a side panel packaged inside its respective lower support unit cavity. Each side panel may be screwed in to the inner surface of each respective pier so that it is flush thereto thereby covering the lower support unit cavities.
It is further contemplated by the present disclosure that first and second piers 12 and 14 may include decorative crown molding 84 (
The wall furniture system 10 of the present disclosure may further include lights, such as recessed or other desirable types, mounted on or within the tops of the first and second piers 12 and 14, with direct illumination therefrom for display purposes. First and second piers 12 and 14 may be configured to each include a storage area, including shelving, for receiving various entertainment media peripherals.
Having now described the invention in accordance with the requirements of the patent statutes, those skilled in this art will understand how to make changes and modifications in the present invention to meet their specific requirements or conditions. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
This is a non-provisional application based on and claiming the priority filing date of co-pending provisional patent application Ser. Nos. 60/562,105, filed Apr. 14, 2004, and 60/567,854, filed May 3, 2004.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60562105 | Apr 2004 | US | |
60567854 | May 2004 | US |